Automatic classification of oranges using image processing and data mining techniques

Data mining is the discovery of patterns and regularities from large amounts of data using machine learning algorithms. This can be applied to object recognition using image processing techniques. In fruits and vegetables production lines, the quality assurance is done by trained people who inspect the fruits while they move in a conveyor belt, and classify them in several categories based on visual features. In this paper we present an automatic orange’s classification system, which uses visual inspection to extract features from images captured with a digital camera. With these features train several data mining algorithms which should classify the fruits in one of the three pre-established categories. The data mining algorithms used are five different decision trees (J48, Classification and Regression Tree (CART), Best First Tree, Logistic Model Tree (LMT) and Random For- est), three artificial neural networks (Multilayer Perceptron with Backpropagation, Radial Basis Function Network (RBF Network), Sequential Minimal Optimization for Support Vector Machine (SMO)) and a classification rule (1Rule). The obtained results are encouraging because of the good accuracy achieved by the clas- sifiers and the low computational costs.Workshop de Agentes y Sistemas Inteligentes (WASI)Red de Universidades con Carreras en Informática (RedUNCI

Contribution to the study and the design of reinforcement functions

The underlying concept in Reinforcement Learning is as simple as it is attractive: to learn by trial and error from the interaction with the environment. This approach allows us to deal with problems where a learning technique searches to improve the performance of the agent (the learner) over time. Reinforcement Learning groups a set of such techniques, and it uses a performance measure based on two types of signals given by a Critic or Reinforcement Function: penalty and reward.Sociedad Argentina de Informática e Investigación Operativ

Contribution to the study and the design of reinforcement functions

We have studied the Reinforcement Function Design Process in two steps. For the first one we have considered the translation of a natural language description into an instance of our proposed Reinforcement Function General Expression. For the second step, we have gone deeply into the tuning of the parameters in this expression. It allowed us to obtain optimal definitions of the reinforcement function (relative to exploration). Since the General Expression is based on constraints, we have indentified them according to the type of state variable estimator on which they act, in particular: position and velocity.Using a particular, but representative Reinforcement Function (RF) expression, we study the relation between the Sum of each reinforcement type and the RF parameters during the exploration phase of the learning. For linear relations, we propose an analytic method to obtain the RF parameters values (no experimentation requires). For non-linear, but monotonous relations, we propose the Update Parameter Algorithm (UPA) and show that UPA can efficiently adjust the proportion of negative and positive reinforcements received during the exploratory phase of the learning. Additionally, we study the feasibility and consequences of adapting the RF during the learning process so as to improve the learning convergence of the system. Dynamic-UPA allows the whole learning process to maintain a desired ratio of positive and negative rewards. Thus, we introduce an approach to undertake the exploration-exploitation dilemma - a necessary step for efficient Reinforcement Learning. We show, with several experiments involving robots (mobile and arm), the performance of the proposed design methods. Finally, we emphasize the main conclusions and present some future directions of research.Sociedad Argentina de Informática e Investigación Operativ

Inteligencia de negocios y su impacto en la gestión universitaria de la Facultad de Ingeniería de la Universidad Nacional de Trujillo

negocios en la gestión universitaria, la cual se desarrolló en la Facultad de Ingeniería de la Universidad Nacional de Trujillo (UNT). La población fue de 72 docentes, seleccionándose una muestra por conveniencia de 20 docentes, el diseño de la investigación fue pre-experimental con un enfoque cuantitativo y un alcance descriptivo y explicativo; se utilizó como técnica de recolección de datos la encuesta y como instrumento una guía de encuesta. Para la implementación de la inteligencia de negocios se empleó la metodología de Ralph Kimball, llamada Modelo Dimensional, la cual se basa en lo que se denomina Ciclo de Vida Dimensional del Negocio.  Para contrastar la hipótesis se empleó una prueba no paramétrica para grupos independientes de Mann-Whitney (nivel de significancia del 5%) ya que se comprobó que las muestras no cumplen con el supuesto de normalidad usando la prueba de Shapiro-Wilk (nivel de significancia del 5%), llegando a la conclusión de que la inteligencia de negocios impacta significativamente en la gestión universitaria de la Facultad de Ingeniería de la Universidad Nacional de Trujillo

Automatic tuning of the reinforcement function

The aim of this work is to present a method that helps tuning the reinforcement function parameters in a reinforcement learning approach. Since the proposal of neural based implementations for the reinforcement learning paradigm (which reduced learning time and memory requirements to realistic values) reinforcement functions have become the critical components. Using a general definition for reinforcement functions, the authors solve, in a particular case, the so called exploration versus exploitation dilemma through the careful computation of the RF parameter values. They propose an algorithm to compute, during the exploration part of the learning phase, an estimate for the parameter values. Experiments with the mobile robot Nomad 200 validate their proposals

Simulation Model for Sea Clutter in Airborne Radars

This paper presents the architecture and the methods used to dynamically simulate the sea backscatter of an airborne radar operating in a medium repetition frequency mode (MPRF). It offers a method of generating a sea backscatter signal which fulfills the intensity statistics of real clutter in time domain, spatial correlation and local Doppler spectrum of real data. Three antenna channels (sum, guard and difference) and their cross-correlation properties are simulated. The objective of this clutter generator is to serve as the signal source for the simulation of complex airborne pulsed radar signal processor

Platinum in salt marsh sediments: Behavior and plant uptake

En prensa2,751

Prevalence of tide-induced transport over other metal sources in a geologically enriched temperate estuarine zone (NW Iberian Peninsula)

10 páginas, 5 tablas, 4 figurasTide-induced transport, diffuse fluxes and river inputs of arsenic, cobalt, chromium, manganese and nickel were studied in an estuarine zone located at the Ria of Ortigueira in the Galician coast of NW Spain to evaluate comparatively the magnitude of trace-element inputs in the estuarine ecosystem. Short-sediment cores and flooding water were collected at the intertidal area of La-Caleira Inlet in spring and summer 2008 during the first 50 min of tidal inundation. High concentrations of dissolved chromium (up to 23 nM) and nickel (256 nM) were found in waters of the Lourido River during 2008. Chromium (up to 795 mg·kg− 1) and nickel (up to 533 mg·kg− 1) in surface sediments of the study area were also high, pointing to natural geological sources (Cape Ortegal Complex). Fluxes associated with molecular diffusion and tide-induced transport across the sediment–water interface were quantified and compared to the river contribution. Mean fluxes from the Lourido River were 0.03 μmol·m− 2·d− 1 for As, 0.02 μmol·m− 2·d− 1 for Co, 0.43 μmol·m− 2·d− 1 for Cr, 0.72 μmol·m− 2·d− 1 for Mn and 5.98 μmol·m− 2·d− 1 for Ni. Diffusive fluxes were negative which indicates the flow of trace elements towards the sediment − 0.47 ± 0.12 μmol·m− 2·d− 1 for As; − 0.007 ± 0.001 μmol·m− 2·d− 1 for Co; − 0.003 ± 0.009 μmol·m− 2·d− 1 for Cr; − 5.44 ± 1.65 μmol·m− 2·d− 1 for Mn; and − 0.02 ± 0.05 μmol·m− 2·d− 1 for Ni. Tide-induced transport of trace metals was up to four orders of magnitude greater than diffusive fluxes. The contributions of trace elements to the estuarine zone from fluvial and benthic origin were quantified, emphasizing the importance of tide-induced transport in estuarine systemsDr Ospina-Alvarez gratefully acknowledges support by a post-doctoral grant from the AXA Research Fund. The CSIC, under the program JAE-Doc (Junta para la Ampliación de Estudios) co-funded by the Fondo SocialEuropeo(FSE), is greatly acknowledged for the post-doctoral contractto Dr. Santos-Echeandía and pre-doctoral contract to Dr. Ospina-Alvarez. This article is a contribution to the Spanish LOICZ program and was supported by CICYT under the INTERESANTE project (ref.CTM2007-62546-C03/MAR) and the Spanish–Portuguese Action (ref. 2007PT0021) both in cooperation with the project‘ Land–sea exchange of trace metals and its importance for marine phytoplankton in an up- welling coast’(ref. CTM2011-28792-C02)financed by the‘Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad’ of Spain. The authors are also grateful to two anonymous referees for their comments and suggestions, which greatly improved the quality of this paperPeer reviewe

The application of a multi-component programme on a set of disruptive behaviours in a case of mental retardation

This paper analyses the application of a multi-modal treatment to a complex set of disruptive behaviours in a case of mental retardation. The patient was a twenty-four-year-old woman, with a moderate level of deficiency and a long history of institutionalisation. The multi-modal treatment combined extinction with instructions, response cost, differential reinforcement of other behaviours and overcorrection, all of which were applied by trained co-therapists from the contexts in which the behaviour problems first appeared (residence and occupational workshop). Findings show the treatment to be effective in both contexts. The discussion refers to the implications of the results, the importance of each technique and the need for a prolonged follow-up in this type of intervention.El presente trabajo analiza la aplicación de un tratamiento multimodal sobre un conjunto complejo de conductas disruptivas en un caso de deficiencia mental. Se trata de una mujer de 24 años de edad, con un nivel de deficiencia moderado y.una larga historia de institucionalización. El tratamiento multimodal consistió en la combinación de la extinción con instrucciones, costo de respuesta, reforzamiento de otras conductas y sobrecorrección, aplicado por coterapeutas entrenados procedentes de los contextos (residencia y taller ocupacional) en los que se desatan las conductas problema. Los resultados mostraron la efectividad del tratamiento en ambos contextos. Se discute la implicación de los resultados, la importancia de cada una de las técnicas y la necesidad de un seguimiento prolongado en este tipo de intervenciones